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The Green Bay Packers open training camp on Wednesday, July 29, marking the unofficial start of the 2026 season for Matt LaFleur's team. After a third straight playoff appearance but another disappointing postseason failure, the Packers are hoping to finally get over the hump in 2026. The process begins in full on July 29.
Packers Wire will go position by position previewing the roster, highlighting battles to watch, the things that actually matter and young players to monitor this summer.
Here is our training camp preview of the defensive tackles:
On the roster (10)
- Javon Hargrave
- Devonte Wyatt
- Karl Brooks
- Chris McClellan
- Warren Brinson
- Nazir Stackhouse
- Jonathan Ford
- Jordon Riley
- Jaden Crumedy
- Anthony Campbell
Positional breakdown
The Packers made major decisions at defensive tackle this offseason, trading away Colby Wooden, signing veteran Javon Hargrave, drafting Chris McClellan in the third round and signing Devonte Wyatt to a contract extension. If nothing else, defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon appears to have more depth up front to start 2026 than Jeff Hafley worked with to end 2025. A few important questions remain. What will the Packers get from Hargrave, who is 33 years old, and McClellan, a rookie? Can Wyatt finally stay healthy for a full season? Will Karl Brooks enjoy a bounce back season? Can Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse take a second-year leap? Training camp will begin providing some of the answers. This position group must be better in 2026. -- Zach Kruse
What to watch: What does Javon Hargrave have left in the tank?
The Packers could really only afford to take one big swing in 2026 free agency, and they used it on Hargrave. The two-time Pro Bowler recorded 23 sacks in his three seasons with the Eagles under Jonathan Gannon, who is entering Year 1 as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator. Hargrave’s impact has tapered off over the past couple of years, but the Packers hope reuniting him with Gannon will result in a late-career resurgence. It probably won’t take long to figure out whether the veteran defensive tackle is still capable of being an impactful starter, or if he is a player clearly in his twilight years. -- Brandon Carwile
What actually matters: How will the new-look defensive line work?
There is a lot of change on the defensive line for the Packers in 2026. New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has brought a new 3-4 scheme, featuring three defensive interior players in base personnel rather than two, while there are new characters in the room in Javon Hargrave and Chris McClellan. At this stage it is unclear who will be the primary nose tackle in Gannon’s scheme and who is the third starter, with Hargrave and the newly minted Devonte Wyatt clearly the top two. Between the names mentioned above, as well as Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse, there are plenty of contenders in the running for playing time and various combinations for Gannon to deploy. Training camp will provide a good look at the hierarchy as well as players’ roles. -- Mark Oldacres
Young player to watch: Chris McClellan
The Packers' third-round pick can play multiple spots along the defensive front, including nose tackle. Can McClellan be an instant impact player for Jonathan Gannon? It's certainly possible that he could emerge as a starter in the three-man defensive fronts.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers training camp preview: Newcomers arrive at defensive tackle
